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Kesubos 36a

כתובות ל״ו ע״א

Ketubot 36a

Learn Kesubos 36a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Who gets no קנס in the ברייתא (עריות and שניות, ממאנת, איילונית), and which women have טענת בתולים

Overview

The גמרא works through a ברייתא that lists girls who get no קנס for rape or seduction. First it explains the words עריות and שניות there. In one version the line is drawn at כרת, following שמעון התימני. In another version it is drawn at לאוין, following רבי שמעון בן מנסיא. Next the גמרא notices that the ממאנת line seems to follow the רבנן, while the איילונית line seems to follow רבי מאיר. It tries several ways to fit the whole ברייתא to one opinion, and settles on an unnamed תנא who agrees with רבי מאיר on one point and disagrees on another. רפרם's reading of 'ממאנת' is left with a קשיא. Then a different ברייתא is raised about the איילונית, which leads to a clash between two ברייתות over טענת בתולים for a חרשת and a שוטה. רב ששת resolves it as a מחלוקת between רבן גמליאל and רבי יהושע, using the rule 'פתח פיך לאלם'. Finally, the גמרא challenges the ruling that a בוגרת has no טענת בתולים, based on רב's ruling that she is given the whole first night.

Opening lines

עֲרָיוֹת מַמָּשׁ,

[If עריות means] actual forbidden relatives,

״שְׁנִיּוֹת״ — מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים,

and 'secondary ones' are [forbidden] by rabbinic law,

כֵּיוָן דְּמִדְּאוֹרָיְיתָא חַזְיָא לֵיהּ,

since by Torah law she is fit for him,

אַמַּאי אֵין לָהֶן קְנָס?

why do they have no fine?

The steps (22)

  1. ChallengeSecondary relatives cannot mean rabbinic relatives
  2. ResolutionForbidden relatives are capital cases and secondary ones are כרת cases
  3. ResolutionA second reading: secondary relatives are plain prohibitions
  4. StatementFrom the line about a refusing girl: an ordinary minor gets a fine
  5. ChallengeThe next line about an איילונית follows רבי מאיר instead
  6. ResolutionSuggestion: it is all רבי מאיר, and he agrees with רבי יהודה on refusal
  7. RejectionRejected: רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה disagree about refusal
  8. ResolutionNew suggestion: the ברייתא is רבי יהודה, who agrees with רבי מאיר about a minor
  9. ChallengeDoes רבי יהודה really agree that a minor gets no קנס?
  10. ResolutionThis תנא agrees with רבי מאיר on one point and disagrees on another
  11. Resolutionרפרם: 'ממאנת' means a girl who is able to do מיאון
  12. ChallengeThen why not just say 'a minor'? Left as a difficulty
  13. StatementThe ברייתא's line: an איילונית gets no קנס
  14. ChallengeAnother ברייתא says an איילונית does get a קנס
  15. RejectionNo real contradiction: one is רבי מאיר, the other is the רבנן
  16. QuestionSo why was the contradiction raised at all?
  17. ResponseHe raised it to set up a clash with another ברייתא about טענת בתולים
  18. Resolutionרב ששת: Each ברייתא follows a different תנא
  19. ChallengeDoes רבן גמליאל's rule help a woman who cannot make the claim?
  20. ResolutionYes, the court speaks up for her
  21. StatementNext line: a בוגרת has no טענת בתולים
  22. ChallengeChallenge from רב: a בוגרת gets the whole first night